


i need you for survival

by dansunedisco



Series: Cordia Tumblr Fics [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Arguing, F/F, Love/Hate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-18
Updated: 2014-10-18
Packaged: 2018-02-21 16:29:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2474873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dansunedisco/pseuds/dansunedisco
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anon asked for: Cordia + <i>"Rival team captains who know nothing about personal space and constantly get into fights where they end up face-to-face every single game until one day one of the coaches yells at them to either kiss or get back to the game au"</i></p><p>Lydia is the team captain of the mathlete club. Cora Hale is the soccer star choking her funding. Needless to say, it’s <i>on.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	i need you for survival

“ _What_?”

Ms. Blake inched back. “Funding for state has been cut back,” she said. “I’m sorry, Lydia. I know you’re disappointed.”

“Disappointed doesn’t really cover it,” she snapped. Sassing teachers—actually, the _one_ teacher who’d offered to supervise the mathletes in the first place—wasn’t the best plan, but Lydia couldn’t help it. She’d worked so hard for a full ride to state, and to hear it had been snatched away? It stung. It pissed her off.

She’d given up her weekends to tutor the kids she’d wrangled into joining up; her mom had been out of town for  _two_ weekends, and she’d had to defer to Dana Schneider ( _Dane Schneider!)_ to plan the weekend blowout parties. She’d suffered through a month of restricted social functions, dancing around  _social suicide,_ all for the state title. Now? Now she was being told she’d have to fund her own way across California so she could win the crown—something she couldn’t do. In fact, not one person on the team could afford the drive down, the hotel stay, the meals, or the sign-up fee without help. It was unacceptable. Someone had to pay.

“Lydia,” started Ms. Blake, but her next sentence was drowned out by loud cheering from outside. The English wing overlooked the field outside, the view partially blocked by the bleachers.

Lydia tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “Why did they cut funding?”

Ms. Blake frowned, seemingly knowing exactly where Lydia’s mind was going. “The school board switched over to a heavier budget for extra curriculars,” she said, then hesitated before continuing on, “Specifically for Beacon Hills? The soccer team.”

Oh,  _hell no_. 

The chalk in Lydia’s grip snapped in half. Ms. Blake called her name, but she was already out the door and down the hallway.

She should have known. Cora Hale had been on her shortlist since she’d waltzed into the school in the middle of sophomore year—(“She’s back from Columbia, so everyone  _please_ give her a warm welcome,” Mr. Yukimura had said, hands clasped together)—and, for a very brief moment, stolen Lydia’s hard-earned limelight. It hadn’t helped that Cora had shrugged off her olive branch-disguised-as-fashion-advice, either, but what could a girl do?

Fire properly stoked, she stomped out onto the field as fast as her wedges could take her. She could see Cora Hale talking to Ms. Morell, the soccer coach, looking smug as ever.

Lydia was almost at the dribbling cones when Cora caught sight of her. “What are you doing on my field, Martin?” she asked coolly.

Lydia made sure her tone was subzero when she replied, “Here to inquire why you thought it was necessary to choke funding for the math team.” She smiled, wide and all too fake. “It was you, right? Your mother’s on the school board, isn’t she? You just had to have a few more balls to your name?”

Cora shifted on her feet, looking suspicious and confused in equal amounts. For a brief second, Lydia  _almost_ believed the other girl had no idea what she was talking about, but where there was smoke, there was fire, and the coincidences were too strong to ignore. “Yeah, she is. But I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Lydia stepped up, coming nose to nose with Cora. Jeers from the bleachers swept up like a wave, but she dutifully ignored them. Thank god she wore her wedges today, otherwise she’d have to look  _up,_ and that would just not do. “Funding for my club just got cut,” she repeated, “Just in time to beef up the soccer team. Your mother. School board. Is any of this penetrating that jock skull of yours?” 

“Screw you,” Cora growled. “You want to fight me?”

Ms. Morell clapped her hands. “ _Ladies_ , that’s enough.  _I_ was the one that asked for more money.”

Both Lydia and Cora whipped their heads around. “What?” they said, in unison.

“I’ll discuss this issue with Ms. Blake,” said Ms. Morell. “I’m sure we can figure something out. Now, how about you too make up and I won’t report you  _both_ for this little display?”

Much to Lydia’s surprise (and ire), Cora was the first to stick her hand out. “Sorry,” she said, looking straight over Lydia’s shoulder. Then her gaze inched over, until they locked eyes. “I know you wanted to go to state.” 

Lydia’s stomach fluttered, an emotion she did  _not_ want to think about bubbling up to the surface. She wasn’t going to back down that easy. She took Cora’s hand and shook it. “I did,” she said.

Ms. Morell cleared her throat and made a ‘keep going’ motion.

“And I’m sorry for accusing you,” she tacked on.

Cora nodded, Ms. Morell smirked, and Lydia excused herself from the field. The crowd went wild.

-

“Lydia! Hey!”

Lydia turned around to see Cora jogging down the hallway after her, green duffel bag bouncing against her hip. “Yes?” she asked.

“About yesterday,” Cora said, “I talked to my mom, and they’re going to give back the funding for the math club, and the drama club. Something about fiscal transparency and unfair skewing towards sports vice academic?”

“That’s nice. Why are you telling me this?” 

Cora rolled her eyes. “Because I felt like it. Or maybe because you almost fought me yesterday because of it?”

“Wrong.  _You_ brought up fighting. I was merely stating my case.”

“Do you always go around accusing people and their families of collusion?”

“Oh,  _all the time_.”

By the time Lydia realized a small group of spectators had gathered to watch her and Cora verbally duke it out, they were already in each other’s faces, and the principal was hustling out of his office to see what the commotion was all about. There was a good chance their altercation would get back to Ms. Blake, who undoubtedly already knew of yesterday’s fiasco—and she needed a clean record to attend overnight trips. So she did the first evasive maneuver that came to mind.

She grabbed Cora’s hand and wrapped it around her waist. 

“Oh, for the love of God. No PDA in the hallways!”

Lydia blinked sheepishly at Principal Finstock. “Oops.”

“You two,” he said, waggling his index finger between Cora and Lydia, “move it along, okay? None of that—that handholding,  _cuddling_ crap on my watch.” 

They both nodded, and he shooed the reluctant crowd away. As soon as he rounded the corner, Cora dropped her hand from Lydia’s side. 

“Good thinking,” Cora said. “I can’t get another demerit this semester.”

“I did it for me, sweetheart.” Lydia flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Good luck on the game tonight, anyway. You’ll need it.”

“Are you coming?”

“If I can be convinced it’s worth my time.” 

Cora smirked. “Bet on it.”

 

 

Later that night, Lydia watched Cora score the winning goal of the game. Even later, she found Cora at the after-party and kissed her in full view of everyone.

And if you’d asked anyone with a pair of eyes, and especially Ms. Morell and Ms. Blake, it was about damn time.

**Author's Note:**

> Come hang with me on [tumblr!](http://dansunedisco.tumblr.com)
> 
> Alternatively, if you want to send me Cordia prompts, that would be awesome.
> 
> -
> 
> Title is from [Bitter Rivals by Sleigh Bells](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr-ahiFDkts).


End file.
